Vijayakanth hits out at AIADMK regime over suspension row

Over a month after DMDK MLAs were suspended following a ruckus in the Assembly in which a portion of the Speaker's podium was damaged, party chief Vijayakanth on Monday said the ruling party had only "insulted the people" by suspending the legislators.

Chennai: Over a month after DMDK MLAs were suspended following a ruckus in the Assembly in which a portion of the Speaker's podium was damaged, party chief Vijayakanth on Monday said the ruling party had only "insulted the people" by suspending the legislators.

"This regime has insulted the people by suspending our MLAs. It is the people who have been insulted and not our legislators. It is the people (who voted for our MLAs) who have been denigrated and such a thing will happen nowhere else in the country," he told reporters at the Assembly premises after signing the attendance register.

Earlier, he asked his party MLAs who were protesting in front of the main entrance to the Assembly by wearing black masks and tags to quit the premises as "justice could not be expected from this regime."

On Chief Minister Panneerselvam's statement that the Budget was "guided by his party chief Jayalalithaa", he took exception to it toeing the lines of PMK and DMK which had earlier objected to it as the AIADMK chief was convicted in a graft case.

On February 19, the Assembly had witnessed a tumult following Deputy Leader of Opposition's remark against Jayalalithaa. A portion of the Speaker's podium was damaged and marshals attacked in the corridor while DMDK MLAs were suspended for the rest of the session.